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MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

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Jonetc15
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MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#377021

Postby Jonetc15 » January 14th, 2021, 12:02 pm

I have just bought a MacBook Air, and I particularly want it for online banking. I have always understood that Apple/Mac products do not need any additional antivirus or other security software. I know very little indeed about computers, but have come across two articles which offer software that at least will add to the MacBook’s security.

The first is AVG – please see
https://www.macworld.com/article/352827 ... eview.html

The second is ESET - please see https://www.eset.com/uk/home/antivirus-for-mac/

I will be most grateful for any comments about (a) whether a MacBook requires or will benefit from any further security, and/or (b) the suitability of either AVG and/or ESET.

Many thanks in advance

Jon

kyu66
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Re: MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#377076

Postby kyu66 » January 14th, 2021, 1:13 pm

Jonetc15 wrote:I have just bought a MacBook Air, and I particularly want it for online banking. I have always understood that Apple/Mac products do not need any additional antivirus or other security software. I know very little indeed about computers, but have come across two articles which offer software that at least will add to the MacBook’s security.

The first is AVG – please see
https://www.macworld.com/article/352827 ... eview.html

The second is ESET - please see https://www.eset.com/uk/home/antivirus-for-mac/

I will be most grateful for any comments about (a) whether a MacBook requires or will benefit from any further security, and/or (b) the suitability of either AVG and/or ESET.

Many thanks in advance

Jon

Jon,

Don't bother with either of these, they are not necessary. Just keep your Mac up-to-date with OS updates.

MalwareBytes (often cited as a useful tool on this board for Windows users) offer a free lightweight Mac version which can be run on demand if you want peace of mind. The free download comes with a trial for the paid version but I have never found the need for full product.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/

Depending on which browser you use, you may wish to install and ad-blocker and/or script blocker e.g. for Firefox NoScript and uBlock Origin (although be aware of the learning curve for both these tools if you are not already familiar with them.)

If you mainly use Safari for browsing then your options are more limited, just use the default settings.

HTH
kyu66

Jonetc15
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Re: MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#377143

Postby Jonetc15 » January 14th, 2021, 3:26 pm

kyu66 wrote:
Jonetc15 wrote:I have just bought a MacBook Air, and I particularly want it for online banking. I have always understood that Apple/Mac products do not need any additional antivirus or other security software. I know very little indeed about computers, but have come across two articles which offer software that at least will add to the MacBook’s security.

The first is AVG – please see
https://www.macworld.com/article/352827 ... eview.html

The second is ESET - please see https://www.eset.com/uk/home/antivirus-for-mac/

I will be most grateful for any comments about (a) whether a MacBook requires or will benefit from any further security, and/or (b) the suitability of either AVG and/or ESET.

Many thanks in advance

Jon

Jon,

Don't bother with either of these, they are not necessary. Just keep your Mac up-to-date with OS updates.

MalwareBytes (often cited as a useful tool on this board for Windows users) offer a free lightweight Mac version which can be run on demand if you want peace of mind. The free download comes with a trial for the paid version but I have never found the need for full product.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/

Depending on which browser you use, you may wish to install and ad-blocker and/or script blocker e.g. for Firefox NoScript and uBlock Origin (although be aware of the learning curve for both these tools if you are not already familiar with them.)

If you mainly use Safari for browsing then your options are more limited, just use the default settings.

HTH
kyu66



Very many thanks indeed kyu66 for a typically quick and decisive reply. I’ll certainly follow up the MalwareBytes suggestion. I used to use them for one-off checks on my Windows 7 pc. I use Safari, so I’ll keep it simple.

I’m really most grateful - all the very best

Jon

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Re: MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#377200

Postby madhatter » January 14th, 2021, 5:04 pm

a free lightweight Mac version which can be run on demand


I have had that for a few years and it is very light weight, and can be run from the upper right menu. From time to time I remember to run it, and so far it has found nothing.

I don’t download software often, if possible from the Apple store, and if not, always try to avoid sources I don’t recognise, avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails etc

Maybe riskier behaviour would give it something to find occasionally?

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Re: MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#377344

Postby mutantpoodle » January 15th, 2021, 8:38 am

just to ask..........

so what is being said is that an Ipad does not need any antivirus things added
and that (in theory) online banking would be safe

???

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Re: MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#377497

Postby kyu66 » January 15th, 2021, 2:02 pm

mutantpoodle wrote:just to ask..........

so what is being said is that an Ipad does not need any antivirus things added
and that (in theory) online banking would be safe

???

Almost, except Jon was asking about a Apple Macbook not an Apple iPad, the former being a laptop (which runs MacOS) the latter a tablet (which runs iOS). Both run versions of Safari.

Generally speaking, iPads are less likely to suffer from malware than laptops/PCs due to the tighter restrictions on what can be installed.

As far as online banking is concerned, if using an iPad most financial institutions provide an App downloadable from the Apple App Store (both for the iPad and the iPhone) which is the easiest way to interact with your bank.

HTH
kyu66

Jonetc15
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Re: MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#377537

Postby Jonetc15 » January 15th, 2021, 3:54 pm

kyu66 wrote:
mutantpoodle wrote:just to ask..........

so what is being said is that an Ipad does not need any antivirus things added
and that (in theory) online banking would be safe

???

Almost, except Jon was asking about a Apple Macbook not an Apple iPad, the former being a laptop (which runs MacOS) the latter a tablet (which runs iOS). Both run versions of Safari.

Generally speaking, iPads are less likely to suffer from malware than laptops/PCs due to the tighter restrictions on what can be installed.

As far as online banking is concerned, if using an iPad most financial institutions provide an App downloadable from the Apple App Store (both for the iPad and the iPhone) which is the easiest way to interact with your bank.

HTH
kyu66


Your comment, kyu66, is very interesting. I have an iPad too and have been looking at a way of getting my wife to use it. She's artistic and not at all happy with IT, but she can send and receive emails. We're both a long way into our 70s and shielding due to my health issue. I'm anxious that if anything should happen to me (and we don't have local family) my wife could bank from home. I'm fixing telephone banking, but the iPad would be a good alternative. I got a MacBook Air hoping that she could be taught to use that - eventually...

All the very best

Jon

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Re: MacBook security: Two antivirus suggestions

#378440

Postby formoverfunction » January 18th, 2021, 7:59 pm

I'm a long stading users of Apple products (computers). I run all incoming files through Bitdefender - pdf's and jpegs included.

I also run several Linux machines which I see an extension of my Mac's. By that I mean l have one or more always mounted as a remote severs and will run some apps via SSH shell or X forwarding, VNC and then pick any output from the remote device. Good example is Picard, Tag Editor for example before addining music files to my iTunes/Music Library.

I run Clam AntiVirus on one of those Linux machines . Treating one of them as a "download" device before dragging across/from to my Mac. I'm guessing you could do that very cheaply with a Pi if you didn't have an old PC knocking around.

So my anti virus cover is 2 fold. From sites I trust I run Bitdefender locally on the Mac, and sites I have less interaction with I'll download files from them to the box and then run them it through Clam and then Bitdefender on the my local machine. I also keep an older Mac with less conectivity to my network/accounts specifcally for downloading files/general restricted surfing. They seem to last me for a very long time, this one is just over 10 years and it's perfect for an end of day investment catch up. I use Bitdeender on that machine.

It is possible to use ClamAV with a paid front end from the Apple Appstore or install it via Homebrew etc as a cli option. I believe Apple use elemets of it themselves in the OS and in some of their server products.

I always make sure I keep the OS upto date as possible, and so far in several decades of Mac use I've never experienced anything but false positive reports on machine based virus files. I have toyed again with the idea of installing Clam on the Macs, but haven't in quite some time.


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